Vital Force #4

Vital Force #4.
Zine: Vital Force
Issue: 4
Created by: Mike Ging
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: West Chester, PA
When: 1989

Somehow I missed out on issue three, but this is the next and last issue of Mike Ging's Vital Force that I've got. Traditional black and white copy of the cover this time instead of colored card stock. Number four is a photo-heavy issue with a ton of great shots. 

Notes: This was damaged in the mail, returned to sender, and then returned to me with a new mailer and this note... 






Vital Force #2

Vital Force #2.
Zine: Vital Force
Issue: 2
Created by: Mike Ging
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: West Chester, PA
When: 1989

The more I've gone back through the Vital Force issues I have, the more I love what Mike Ging was doing with this zine. Hyper-local, super-metal, cut-and-paste progressiveness.

Notes: Swatch Impact Tour review. Not sure if it was Swatch or if the Meadowlands Arena wouldn't allow cameras in the venue for this show, but either way, restricting photo access was/is nonsense. Exposure is everything...

Vital Force #1

Vital Force #1.
Zine: Vital Force
Issue: 1
Created by: Mike Ging
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: West Chester, PA
When: 1988

Another issue number one. Did I mention how much I like inaugural issues? So much good stuff crammed in here. So much metal. The best part is right up front – Ging doesn't care if you like the zine or not, as long as the West Chester scene is promoted to the world. Isn't that what every zine is supposed to be about? Zine is short for fanzine. Who's a bigger fan of your scene than you? I dig it.

Notes: The Haro '88 Tour show review has a photo caption that says "Rick Rolling," which is Rick Moliterno rolling through some... rolling trick. Hard to see in the photo. Given today's pop-culture definition of "Rick Rolling" I thought this was quite funny. In "??? of the month" best car is noted as Saab 900 turbo two-door black with works. 1988? Agree completely.

Style Zone #7

Style Zone #1.
Zine: Style Zone
Issue: 7
Created by: Matt Bennett
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Whitby, Ontario
When: 1989

Death of Bruce Lee and Bent and Mutilated creator Matt Bennett's regular zine. By regular, I mean he made six before this one under the same name and anything else I've seen has been a one-off. With a visually similar style and sensibility between titles, Bennett manages to keep his high-contrast look familiar. This is the art of zine making and Bennett does it very well. This one has a little bit of freestyle, a little bit of art and after-school detention, the usual toilet photos. 

Notes: I would like to see anything else Bennett made. Anyone got anything?

Stabilizer #1

Stabilizer #1.
Zine: Stabilizer
Issue: 1
Created by: Carl Marquardt
Format: 8 1/2" x 14"
Where: Kew Gardens, NY
When: 1987

I love the first issue of any zine. There's an optimism and unbridled creativity that is unparalleled. Stabilizer is a mish-mash of a freestyle zine with some cool stuff inside. There's a story about Peachtree City, Georgia and the halfpipe they built to address their skateboarder "problem," a missive about how contests are judged, Mongoose and Vision Street Wear ads and a heavy photo section with some great bmx freestyle action. This is the only issue of Stabilizer I have. Does anyone know if Carl kept up the fight?

Notes: Legal-size paper format. Carl had a badass typewriter that also had a cursive function. And yes, Jody Watley is a babe.

Bust It #10

Bust It #10.
Zine: Bust It
Issue: 10
Created by: Mark Mack
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Elkhart, IN
When: 1990

Another Mark Mack episode, except this one is printed entirely on a light blue paper. I dig the NAIL (News and Intelligent Lies) section. Interview with the fine fellows of the Excessive Intensity team out of Mishawaka, Indiana and a fantastic Mat Hoffman interview. There's some interesting writing and all the photos are consistently good. 

Notes: I only have two issues of Bust It. I kind of wish I had more.

Bust It #9

Bust It #9.
Zine: Bust It
Issue: 9
Created by: Mark Mack
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Elkhart, IN
When: 1989

Blue cover! Nice photos, lots of typewriter and just an overall good feeling of scene. I only have a couple issues of Bust It. Not sure how I came across this one. Maybe Terry Nourse of RIP zine. Noticed both Bust It and  S.E.P. addresses in RIP, so we must have corresponded properly at some point.

Notes: Photo of side glide curiously referenced as a "Land Speeder." I don't remember that alternate name for the trick. The full-page House of Bicycles advert with two hard-flash shots of bikes laid down and a business card is just late 80s zine ad perfection.

Anarchist Monthly #11

Anarchist Monthly #11.
Zine: Anarchist Monthly
Issue: 11
Created by: Aaron Pfendler
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Forestport, NY
When: 1989

Minimalist skate cover. Some great record reviews, a bit of shopping cart abuse (hey, we all did it back then), a cool article about Paul Weinman. I made an ad for Dan and Jay's Zeen! Gary Burchart wallride photo closes this one out. AP used some old-school computer art I did for him as the back cover/mailer. The scarecrow image was created in Microsoft Paint and printed on a state-of-the-art dot matrix printer. The original image is red, white and blue. 

Notes: The "Letter Carriers: We Deliver!" stamp is perfect in this format.

No Place Like Home

No Place Like Home.
Zine: No Place Like Home
Issue: Unknown
Created by: Tred
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Bear, DE
When: 1988

Great Paul Weinman White Boy two-page intro, a general clip-art vibe with clean layout, color 3D centerfold and some cool photos of and by Spike Jonze.

Notes: Tred mentioned the similarity of his cover art and that of Loft Zine #6, and said that the resemblance was purely coincidental. For some reason, I have two copies of this issue. Both have a red paperclip attached to page 10 (see PDF). I don't know why. 

Bones Brigade

Powell Peralta zine/catalog.
Zine: Bones Brigade
Issue: Vol. II, No. 5
Created by: Powell Peralta
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Santa Barbara, CA
When: 1988

Another example of when a company puts out a catalog in the form of a zine. This is actually a really good one for what it is. There's some interesting, cool content and it's not just a thinly-disguised marketing effort. Oh, and head gaskets make the "New Products" section. Remember those? 

Notes: I did join the Bones Brigade for $12 and got a cool yellow members only t-shirt and a whole bunch of other stuff. So I guess the marketing effort worked. 

Anarchist Monthly #12

Anarchist Monthly #12.
Zine: Anarchist Monthly
Issue: 12
Created by: Aaron Pfendler
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Forestport, NY
When: 1990

This is the last issue I've got for you of Aaron Pfendler's Anarchist Monthly. More cool Alberto Kroeger art, a fair amount of freestyle photos, an interview and photos with me and my favorite skateboard of all time (and an existential comic I drew), an amazing ad for the Aggroman video, and a really nice scene check on Puerto Rico. Pfendler's incredible diversity (and profound productivity) was always why I loved regularly getting his zines in the mail.

Notes: If anyone knows of AP's whereabouts or contact info, I'd love to know.

Anarchist Monthly #10

Anarchist Monthly #10.
Zine: Anarchist Monthly
Issue: 10
Created by: Aaron Pfendler
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Forestport, NY
When: 1989

Another clean, militaristic cover on issue 10. This one starts out with an interview with No Fraud from Venice, Florida. There's a good two page spread of zine reviews. The photo of me, Dan Ferrell and Gary Burchart in front of a statue at University of Kansas brings back fond memories. 

Notes: Again with the great negative space-use on the back cover/mailer. AP is knocking them out of the park every time now.

Anarchist Monthly #9

Anarchist Monthly #9.
Zine: Anarchist Monthly
Issue: 9
Created by: Aaron Pfendler
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Forestport, NY
When: 1989

My absolute favorite AM cover. I see this one in the shoebox and I know exactly who created it. There's a photo of Stecher with The Dead Milkmen's Jasper Thread, shot when the Milkmen came to Lawrence on their Beelzebubba tour and we took Mr. Thread out for pizza before the show. AP rips on cover bands, relays a disaster averted on a tricycle and there's a Jack the Ripper cover (see previous issues for Ripper comics).

Notes: Another nice back cover mailer layout.

Anarchist Monthly #8

Anarchist Monthly #8.
Zine: Anarchist Monthly
Issue: 8
Created by: Aaron Pfendler
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Forestport, NY
When: 1989

The Nuclear Issue. This one starts with an invitation for discourse on "Recipe for Anarchy" by Daryll Geerts. There's an interview with The Blistertones. I dig the back cover on this one... the way that AP layed it out for the address is particularly nice.

Notes: "I know why they call it a decade now. 'Cause it takes ten minutes to learn."

Anarchist Monthly #7

Anarchist Monthly #7.
Zine: Anarchist Monthly
Issue: 7
Created by: Aaron Pfendler
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Forestport, NY
When: 1989

This issue sees the Skinhead Peanut Farmer take aim at the Smurfs with a hilarious comic, and AP takes aim at Oliver North. Portland, Oregon's Poison Idea are interviewed. There's some good, angsty prose. 

Notes: Alberto Kroeger presidente bottle on the cover.

Anarchist Monthly #6

Anarchist Monthly #6.
Zine: Anarchist Monthly
Issue: 6
Created by: Aaron Pfendler
Format: 8 1/2" x 11"
Where: Forestport, NY
When: 1988

Look mom, I made the cover of Anarchist Monthly! That's my ass in the bottom right corner, doing some flatland foolishness on my first Haro. I'm not sure where my copy of AM five is, so next in the series is issue six. This one's got an artistic Jack the Ripper update, a great long interview with MSI (More Stupid Initials), a rare photo of Jason Stecher on his Rodney Mullen and me playing on swings.

Notes: The "Day in the Life" of The Skinhead Peanut Farmer comic is pure fucking awesomeness.